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"What we're working on specifically is cleaning up blight and making places safer for kids and families to play here in the New Orleans area," said Dr. Karen DeSalvo, the city's health commissioner.

Volunteers worked at Hardin Park in the 7th Ward and Taylor Park in Central City. It's all part of the mayor's NOLA FOR LIFE plan, which lays out the city's Comprehensive Murder Reduction Strategy. Two abandoned homes near Hardin Park were torn down as part of the project.

The initiatives can be broken down into five main categories: Stop the Shooting; Invest in Prevention; Promote Jobs and Opportunity; Get Involved and Rebuild Neighborhoods and Improve the New Orleans Police Department.

Statistics show that since 1979, New Orleans has had an average murder rate seven to eight times higher than the national rate. Last year, there were 199 murders in the Crescent City.

Law enforcement officials say the way to decrease that number is for the community to be engaged.

"The physical space around people and how that looks often predicts their level of fear," said NOPD Superintendent Ronal Serpas. "If you have nice streets. If you have clean parks. If you have nice neighborhoods. If you have good working lights. If you have no abandoned buildings. People will feel safer. And when they feel safer, they interact outside more."

"The goal is to stop the shooting, but investing in prevention and cleaning up neighborhoods and creating jobs are as important to us," DeSalvo said. "Because we want to make sure we prevent future crime, and we want to make sure we provide diversion opportunities -- other things they can do with their lives."

Officials said will be one of these NOLA For Life projects every quarter.